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Sunday, 19 February 2017

This Week in History - Feb 19 to 25

Everything you need to know about the goings-ons and gossip from this week in Precode Hollywood.

1929:

Lupe’s Song and Dance: Lupe Velez will sing and dance at the United Artists, Chicago, and the Riato, New York, in conjunction with Lady of the Pavements, the picture in which she is featured. New York engagement starts March 2 or 9.

Lupe Velez in Lady of the Pavements

Personal Pilot: Director, Clarence Brown, is the first of the picture contingent to own an aeroplane and have his own pilot. Brown has bought a four-passenger Beull closed plane and is using it for social engagements, thinking nothing of flying 300 miles for a weekend.

Big Wedding: They put it on when Ruth Roland married Ben Bard on February 14. The wedding was the most pretentious held in the film colony with practically everybody of any consequence invited. More than 1,000 guest witnessed the event.

Ruth Roland and Ben Bard

Coquette promotion: What looks like some high powered exploitation and publicity for Mary Pickford and Coquette, her forthcoming release, is her sudden outburst of social activity on the coast. For the past week Miss Pickford has been host to 25 visiting newspaper chatter writers who sponsored a like number of girls selected in various cities in a Coquette contest. Miss Pickford threw a dinner for the newspaper scribes and also sponsored a theatre party.

1930:

Dogs talking on the screen has been released: It is an achievement of months of patience as dialog was fitted to each dog and had to be made at the precise instant needed. This required weeks of weary waiting for the dogs to do the right thing at the right time. The title of the short is Hot Dog.

Two canine actors from Hot Dog (1930)

Picture ‘Don’ts’ For ’30: Will Hays put the halter around the necks of the members of the Association of Motion Picture Producers at their annual meeting on February 17. The members agreed to abide by his rules and regulations that will govern the industry in such a manner that censorship measures throughout the country will not be required and will possibly be abandoned. Producers will now have to submit to the association every picture they produce before the negative goes to final printing. If the picture doesn’t conform to the rules, the association with notify the producer and corrections must be made before the picture can be released.

Alice White is requesting a vacation after working in 22 pictures during the past three and a half years. She may have to wait as two new stories are in preparation for her.

Alice White

1931:

Nolan Charged: Mary Nolan was charged last week with petty theft in a warrant issued in Beverly Hills. Warrant was sworn by a film director who alleged that Miss Nolan stole a rug worth $300 from his furnished home which she had leased.

Mary Nolan

El Brendel was taken to hospital with an injured eye. He ducked too late on the set when a Spanish dancer was supposed to kick over his head.

Solo Click by Wheeler or Woolsey Would Kill Team: Whether Wheeler and Woolsey will be re-teamed by Radio again depends on the results from their solo trys. That seems to be the attitude of studio execs who have been trying to find the right medium for the pair.

Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey

Husband Swap: Showgirls Edna Hooper and Norma ‘Bebe’ Castillo would like to change husbands but there are a maze of legal technicalities which must first be straightened out. The husbands are equally anxious for the exchange and believe the matter can be smoothed over.

1932:

Judith Wood

Freaks Has Censor Trouble: City censors in Georgia forced Freaks from the Fox theatre screen on February 20 because of its gruesomeness. The theatre tried to score an injunction against the removal order but was unsuccessful.

Wood’s nose trouble: Judith Wood is in for a nose operation for the second time in two months. The second is to correct the first.

Edna Purviance’s Heart: Edna Purviance was stricken with a heart attack on February 20. At the Hollywood hospital it is stated her condition is slightly improved.

Moran’s Molars: Metro execs are reported to be protesting Polly Moran’s new set of store teeth. They claim they are too perfect and take away facial comedy value. So Moran went back to the dentist to get a not so perfect renovation. Apparently, her revamped nose some time ago was similarly protested on the grounds that she was making a funny face foolproof.

Polly Moran gets a secret from Marie Dressler

1933:

Two Accidents on Location: Columbia has encountered hard luck on making Murder of the Circus Queen, having two bad accidents. One was on February 17 when a man was thrown from his horse and his legs badly injured and another when another man suffered severe injuries to his back. Both are in hospital.

A scene from Murder of the Circus Queen aka The Circus Queen Murder (1933)

Mae’s Cuts for Paramount: Paramount is re-editing Mae West’s flicker She Done Him Wrong for Pennsylvania following first submission to state’s censors. After cuts necessary are made, the picture will again be shown to the scissor brigade with passage assured. Reports that Pennsylvania had banned the West picture entirely created some furore in Paramount.

She Done Him Wrong (1933)

Marie Dressler Needs Minor Operation: Marie Dressler, dissatisfied with the opinion of her local physicians as to her condition, is in New York to consult her doctor there. She was operated on yesterday, February 19 with the surgery not of a serious nature.

1934:

Dressing at Sea: Paramount’s We’re Not Dressing company is at Catalina Island on location for sea stuff. The unit comprises 80 people including Bing Crosby, Burns and Allen, Carole Lombard and Leon Errol.

Betty Boop Doll Case: Fleischer Studios producer of cartoons for Paramount release will be enriched by over $100,000 as a result of the decision just handed down by Judge Woolsey holding that a doll manufacturer had infringed Fleischer’s Betty Boop cartoon character. The figure is based on damages of $10 per doll. The suit was against Ralph Freundlich, who is alleged to have manufactured Betty Boop dolls without a licence.

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Forgotten Star: Sari Maritza

I'm classic film crazy and have recently discovered the wonderful world of Precode Cinema. I'm sometimes a writer and sometimes other things. The Gods and Goddesses of this era radiate passion and life - they are completely modern and wonderful.